Call to protect women on temporary visas from domestic violence

Domestic-violence workers are calling for urgent changes to Australia’s migration laws to protect women on temporary visas. The workers say women living in Australia on temporary visas face additional hurdles to seeking help for family violence, including the threat of deportation.

Sarah with her back to the camera to hide her identity. Source: SBS

It took a near-death experience for a woman we will call Sarah to leave her violent husband. 

Sarah's voice has been distorted to disguise her identity, but she is a young mother who arrived in Australia with her husband and children, fleeing conflict in Iraq.

She says the services and support available in her new land have empowered her to seek help.

But she says she was also concerned her temporary-visa status might leave her at risk.

Listen to the feature in Bangla in the audio player above.

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